Mother Nature
by Xmarksthespot
Summary: Once a month, Batgirl really hates being the only girl on the Bat team.


**Title**: Mother Nature  
**By**: Xmarksthespot  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own YJ  
**Words**: 1,200+  
**Note**: I just love period-related fics. They're fun to read and write.

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Being the only girl on a team of Bats didn't have many advantages. It had taken Barbara a good year and a half before she convinced Dick to actually try to throw a punch at her and not hesitate during their spars, and as for the other Robins (codename: Green and Red for Jason and Tim respectively)… well, she was still working on them.

Another disadvantage was, well, _that_. Mother Nature's gift held together with red wrapping paper and was usually advertised as something pain-free and _the best damn thing in the world, you just want to dance around while wearing a white skirt._

The fact that Wayne Manor only had men didn't help either. When Barbara first tried to explain to Bruce why she wasn't coming on patrol with him and Dick, Gotham's greatest detective had misunderstood.

"_Er, Batman," she said through the com-link. "I don't think I can come tonight."_

_There was a pause, as Bruce was clearly waiting for her to explain herself._

"_I have... that thing. _That_ thing this month."_

"_...Report to the Batcave when you're available then."_

"_Thanks for under –"_

"_Hey, Batman, is Batgirl coming tonight?" Dick asked in the back._

"_No. She has a date."_

Needless to say, Barbara had a difficult time trying to convince Dick that she didn't have a boyfriend so he should try to stop tracking the male population of Gotham between the ages of thirteen and seventeen through his wrist computer.

Now at sixteen, she was a little more experienced with her lies each month – though the Bat-team had gotten so used to her disappearing every once in a while, they eventually stopped questioning it. Meeting and talking with Artemis and Zatanna hadn't really helped either, especially with Artemis threatening Green Arrow to let her have a break once in a while and Zatanna using her magic to not let her monthly problems bother her. The idea of _her_ (or anybody for that matter) yelling at Batman and demanding him to let her have a break wasn't too appealing in her head.

Then she realized that night during patrol that Mother Nature was a cruel, heartless woman who liked surprises. She regretted ignoring the signs all day – the aches, the cramps, the bloating. Now, it was just _too _uncomfortable jumping from building to building and her body already felt exhausted. She needed to call it a night.

"Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit under the we – "

"Batman! Batgirl's hurt!" Red Robin yelled out; the miniature Robin preceded to point at Batgirl. "Look, she's bleeding!"

Blushing, Batgirl shook her head. _Oh, Tim,_ she thought and waited for the moment Batman gave one of his rare smirks after he figured out where exactly she was bleeding from.

Of course, the look on the lower half of Bruce's face indicated that he was _not_ amused. In fact, and much to Batgirl's chagrin, it was a look of worry and shock. It was also the same look on both Dick and Jason who quickly circled around her.

"Batgirl, are you okay?"

"Batgirl, can you hear me?"

"Darn it, Green, I don't think she's responding."

Finally, Batgirl snapped out of it. She furrowed her brows and stared at them in disbelief. Suddenly, she felt something touch her lower back and flinched.

"Does it hurt, Batgirl?"

She looked down to see little Timothy, all glassy eyed and worried at the sight of the _injury_ on his "big sis". But before she could respond, Batman had taken control.

"Quick, Robin, carry Batgirl back to the Batcave!"

Suddenly, she felt herself hoisted up into the air as Dick – now taller than her, thank God for the growth spurt – carried her on his back.

"Bu – "

"Green, have you contacted Agent A yet?" Batman turned to the middle child, Jason.

"Yessir!"

"I'm not – "

"Good. Robin, you and Red Robin will take Batgirl back to the cave and have Alfred treat her injury. Quickly, there might be poisonous aftereffects."

"What are we going to do, Batman?" Jason asked, looking up at his father figure.

Batman gave him a look and he understood right away: they were going to take down whoever had the gall to hurt their female teammate.

"I'm not hurt!" Barbara yelled, feeling incredibly uncomfortable sitting on Robin's back. She tried to push herself off, but his grip around her was tight.

Dick spoke next, "Batman, she's delusional."

"She hit her head too? Hurry, Robin!"

And with that, Barbara found herself being taken away to the cave. Throughout the journey, she had attempted to convince the two Robins that she was okay, but the two of them, oh so very similar to their mentor, didn't allow her to explain herself.

When they had gotten to the cave, Dick quickly (and gently) placed her onto the operating bed while Tim rushed Alfred to come treat her.

It was an excruciating experience for Barbara as she explained to the older man who _actually_ listened to what she had to say while Dick and Tim waited impatiently on the other side of the Batcave (Alfred had told them that if he were to treat her injuries, she would need a lot of privacy).

"I'll just change into my civilian clothes and go home, Alfred," Barbara said, "but my _napkins_ are in my bag."

"Of course, Miss Barbara, I will retrieve both your clothes and your bag for you." He smiled and walked away, only to be interrogated by the other two boys in the room, questioning Barbara's state.

"Master Richard, Master Timothy, please. Miss Barbara is alright. She will be going home once I fetch her carryon bag."

Dick gave a sigh of relief as Tim yelled, "I'll get it, I'll get it!"

He ran to the other side of the room, entering the code to the safe that held their personal belongings. Unfortunately (to Barbara), the bag wasn't completely closed, so her belongings fell onto the floor as Tim made his way back to the butler.

Sitting from afar, Barbara could see both Dick and Tim bend down to pick up her things, including the very colourful packages.

"Dick, what's this?" Tim asked and his tiny hands fiddled with the item.

Dick stared at the item in Tim's hands for several minutes before the light bulb in his head _finally_ flickered on. He then turned to Barbara, turning red as her hair and muttered an: "_Oh_..." The first Boy Wonder had taken the item from Tim and shrugged it off as nothing –better take it now before he opened it and raise more questions. Hurriedly, he shoved everything back into Barbara's bag and threw it at his female teammate.

Catching her bag, Barbara smiled awkwardly as a thank you, but before she could turn around to go to the washroom and change, she heard Batman's voice through the Bat-computer.

"Robin, what's Batgirl's condition?"

Barbara ran home before she had to explain herself again – she needed to get far, far away from the testosterone-filled house.

**X-X-X-**

**Please review; don't just favourite and leave, I'd really like your input.**

Jason and Tim are pretty young in this. I haven't specified their ages, though I don't think it really follows Comic canon..I just wanted to add the two in though.

NOTE: I'm working on a multi-fic story involving Batgirl as well. However, I'm not an avid comic book reader, so I've only read a few things with her in it. I'd really like to get her characterization right, so if you guys know what kind of person she is (serious, laid back, sarcastic, nice, witty, etc), I'd really love for you to tell me them.


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